Labour Party News

Welsh Lib Dem Councillor joins the Labour Party

Welsh Labour has today announced that Brent Carter, a Lib Dem Councillor on Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, has joined the Labour Party.

The defection comes two days after national press reports quoted Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg describing his most senior party colleagues as “useless”, and a week before the Lib Dems’ in Wales announce their new leader.

With the defection of Councillor Brent Carter, who represents the Plymouth ward, and the Lib Dems’ loss of a seat in the Town ward in Merthyr Tydfil following Labour’s dramatic by-election victory in October, the Lib Dems’ have now lost a third of their seats in less than six weeks – after winning six seats in local elections earlier this year.

Speaking after confirming his decision to leave the Lib Dems for the Labour Party, Councillor Brent Carter said:

“I have grown greatly disillusioned with the Liberal Democrats since I won the seat in May for many different reasons. I got involved in politics because I want to help people, I wanted to be part of the community and I feel the best place to be able to do that is within the Labour Party.

Councillor Carter said he could see Labour going forward in Merthyr Tydfil.

He added:

“Scoring cheap political points in the council chamber is not something I want to be involved in. I didn’t get involved in politics for that.

“I want to be part of a reinvigorated Labour Party in Merthyr, and there’s a lot of experience I can draw on from within the group of Labour councillors in Merthyr to help achieve my goals of improving the community which I serve.

Merthyr Tydfil Labour Group Leader Brendan Toomey said the Lib Dems’ loss of two seats in Merthyr within six weeks would now lead to questions being asked within the party in Wales.

He said:

“To lose Brent to Labour is nothing short of a disaster for the Liberal Democrats.

“Brent clearly made a big mistake joining the Lib Dems and I’m sure he will have a very bright future with Labour. Brent is a very able councillor who has already worked hard in his community.”

Welcoming Brent Carter into the Labour Party, Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy said:

“I’m delighted to be able to welcome Brent Carter into the Labour Party.

“Hundreds of people are joining the Labour Party ever week, because people can see that at the next election, the choice will be strong leadership under Labour and Gordon Brown, or a weak, do nothing leader of a do nothing party in David Cameron and the Tories.

“It will be a clear choice between a Labour government helping families and business now through these difficult times, or a Conservative party that are consistently refusing to act to help people, families and businesses right across Wales.

“Unlike the Tories, Labour has never and will never abandon the people of Wales.

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